Screams
by TonksieFea
Summary: One night, one domino, can change the nature of a rebellion. What happens when that one action is made by the most unimportant person in the rebellion? (AU)
1. A Domino

**A/N:** The plot doesn't show up in this chapter, or the next. It's going to take a minute to get to it or really see the changes. They're coming. If anyone knows me they'll know nothing is ever easy with me. Think of the first two as a sort of exposition for the real story.

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Screams. Every night when Capitol Citizen and Escort Effie Trinket had to leave her comfortable life and live a life of preparing two children for slaughter, her world was inhabited by them. Not from the two small people who were shaking and afraid and being marched to their deaths. No, the two children were always quiet and she made a point to try and make them comfortable though she had to keep her distance. She had to stay apart from them but every year she fell a little bit in love with them and had to watch some other child, no more or less innocent than they were, brutally murder them. Or she had to watch them starve or burn or some other method of 'entertainment'. Every year of her life she had watched it. She had wanted the fame of being an Escort, to get to work with the valiant warriors. She had wanted to be an escort to a strong district full of winners but she found that was not the life she got.

No Effie was the Escort for 12. A district made of underdogs with no ability to fight and no real push to be victorious or spark of hope to even try. Not to mention that the mentor, though possibly attractive beneath the grime and alcohol, was a drunkard that didn't do his job. The first two she had tried to be a mother to, and encourage them to bring glory to their district and joy to the capitol, she had failed. They had both died early and brutally in a way that Effie could never stomach again, but it didn't stop her from falling in love with every single tribute she worked with even with the imagined distance she made. She thought it would make her hate Haymitch, blame him for not doing his job. It didn't. Instead she saw a man going through the same pain she was. Watching people he knew and had started to care for die over and over in the most horrible of ways. She kept her capitol face on but she never could understand how the other Escorts stayed so unaffected, unless they were hiding it like she was.

However the screams may have been the worst. Over the years she had attached to Haymitch, he was a good man under it all. She could look into his grey eyes and stubble and see the man he could have been without the games haunting him. She could see the strength and bravery and spark in him. She remembered his games. She was so young, but he had been amazing. Really he had been a shock to everyone, not just because it was the Quarter Quell but also because he was genuinely a shock to see. She wondered who he would have been without all this pain, but then she never would have known him and she had to admit something about the man drew her to him. Perhaps it was partially because he was something she couldn't have.

He hated her. There was no doubt in her mind about that. He made his views clear often by teasing everything about her. But as time went on something changed in the teasing. They had worked together for five years when it happened; suddenly the teasing went from a biting disgust to a more gentle welcome. Like his mockery was him welcoming a constant back into his life. She knew he kept his distance, though she didn't know why, but that was them being close.

Most nights Haymitch would drink himself to a blackout, particularly with tributes there. He would not sleep until even later than she, and she was a capitol woman used to going down when the sun came up after some part or gathering. Then he would drink until his mind was quiet and he was sprawled on his bed rancid and still fully clothed. She knew because she would often wake him. Tonight however was the other kind of night. The kind when his body gave out from exhaustion. They had both been in a hard situation. Both tributes, though not twelve, were 13 and 14, which was hardly any better. She had been working hard trying to get them some chance of at least dying a merciful death and Haymitch had been desperately trying to avoid everything. That was when the screams started.

Effie shot up form bed seeing the beginnings of the sun over the city. She yawned knowing it couldn't be long after she went to bed, perhaps an hour. She got up not bothering with her wig or make-up, they weren't needed for this. She had a plan, a plan that would give both of them something they needed. She stood in her lime green silk and lace nightgown, a show of luxury that she wore as a capitol citizen she knew Haymitch would hate. She walked quietly in the hall and heard the door of one of the tributes' rooms close with a gasp. She knew it must be a shock. Effie Trinket walking around without a wig or make-up was madness. She wasn't going into battle though, she was a spy this time, and she had to fit her surroundings. At this point she had worked with Haymitch nearly 10 years now. They knew each other, they were friends, and that stirring she had started feeling so long ago was only growing to the point she was either going mad, or he had started to return it, if only slightly. She had shown him other sides to her. When the tributes weren't around he got to see the part of her that was intelligent and caring. After they died he was the one to see her walk out of the room tense and close to tears, once it had been so grotesque and painful she hadn't been able to hold it back, she had cried right there and he had gotten closer and draped an arm around her in her moment of weakness. They had shared something in that moment that had changed their distant relationship forever. Now they weren't just coworkers, they were friends and her friend was being haunted, it was time she helped him out.

Effie Trinket walked up to the door of Haymitch's room in her slip of a nightgown and opened the door not even knocking. She saw him thrashing around and knew better than to wake him suddenly. She had made that mistake once while he was passed out on the couch not even having a nightmare. She had nearly died that day and he hadn't talked to her for a week after and had yet to tell her why. "Haymitch." She said standing by the door and turning on the light. He jumped up with a knife in his hand looking terrified and she slid further into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Who the hell are you." He said threateningly looking her over. She smirked, he really didn't recognize her? That was a shock. She would have been amused if it wasn't for the look of anger and fear and disgust in his face. She sighed and walked closer ignoring the knife he had pointed at her.

"Honestly Haymitch, I know I wear a lot of make-up but I didn't think I was unrecognizable after 10 years!" She said putting on an air of affront that made his eyes go huge and drop the knife.

"You look different Sweetheart. Nice dress." He said in a tone that told her he did not like the dress. She knew he wouldn't.

"I'm sorry if it offends you. Here I can fix that." She said simple and uncaringly sliding the thin straps over her shoulders and letting the dress fall leaving her in nothing but her knickers and Haymitch staring at her trying not to look like he was enjoying himself but he was half asleep and probably half drunk and she was rather attractive, that she knew well. Sex and sexuality in the capitol was rather inconsequential. She herself had a rule that she had to actually feel something before she would sleep with someone, but it was a rather rare rule. In fact she was the only one she knew with a rule like that. But it had kept her happy and safe and she preferred it. Besides, from what she understood it felt better with emotions. Haymitch did not seem to know this side of the capitol however if his response had anything to do with it. He looked like she had just told him she'd gone entirely mad, but he seemed to be enjoying it if the way his eyes roamed over her body said anything. She felt her stomach dance with anticipation. Four years was too long. She had had less interest in people since her attention was drawn to the man before her. Suddenly people she would have melted for before weren't enough to keep her happy, suddenly she needed more, and she needed him. That was part of where the idea had sparked from in her sleepy mind. He needed someone to distract him from his nightmares and grant him a restful sleep and she needed to get him out of her system so she could look at other men again.

"What the hell are you doing?" He ground out his eyes still not on hers, but rather glued to her chest. His anger seemed to be countered by the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down at his swallow and the fire in his eyes that showed nothing of anger. She sauntered closer to him utterly comfortable in the situation and with her body, which she worked very hard on to keep flawless and knew it was amazing.

"Well I'm trying to make you more comfortable. It's impossible to seduce someone when they're tense over what you're wearing it's much more polite to take whatever they are opposed to off when you seduce them. Manners Haymitch, manners are the key to any good seduction." She chided gently flirting as she moved in a seductive way making his eyes travel her curves to land on her swinging hips. His hands shot out as she drew close enough and landed on her shoulders, keeping her at arm's length.

"Effie." He said his voice low trying to sound dangerous but thundered down her spine like an ocean of pleasurable needles zooming over her skin that was already feeling the cold, except the place his too warm hands touched her.

"Yes Haymitch." She said shimmying out of her knickers as she walked and kicking them over by her dress.

"We can't do this." He said trying to be firm but his eyes again straying to a place below her face did not help his plight. "Dear God, you people shave down there?" He said sounding shocked. She rolled her eyes and scoffed at him.

"It's not shaved, it's a hair removal treatment, and it's done with a laser. And not everyone does, most dye it but I didn't really want to go through the effort to keep that up." She said ignoring the part saying they couldn't do this. Of course they could, they were two adults, nothing was stopping them, and they obviously felt something for each other or he wouldn't have looked at her enough to know the question he just asked.

Haymitch stared for a few more seconds before shaking his head and looking into her eyes and the proximity to her he actually seemed to be able to look in her eyes and suddenly the air shifted. It was heavier and charged and she suddenly understood that there would be a change in them if they did this, only in private but there would be, even if it was just to her. She started to genuinely question if she wanted to do this. She felt like she should back out looking into his deep eyes and searching them like a cave mining for coal. She saw his pain and his fear and his demons haunting him. She saw his depth and his anguish and his intelligence and was again hit by just what the capitol had done. In that instant she knew she had to keep going, she had to do this, not for herself, but for him. She knew this would help him sleep, she knew she would be there to sooth the monsters from start to finish if she stayed here and he wouldn't be able to turn her out after. The Capitol had done this to him, and the Capitol would fix it.

"I'm sorry for waking you Sweetheart. Go back to bed." He said with a gentleness in his tone and she knew he felt it too.

She reached a hand up to his cheek and laid it there, significantly shorter than him without her heels. "I don't want to be in my bed." She said simply.

"Contrary to what you've been told, you can't get everything you want." He shot back trying to pull back and her hand dropped but he didn't release her shoulders.

"I know that. And if you can honestly tell me you don't want me here, and you can honestly tell me that you want me out and you don't feel even the slightest bit tempted to then I'll go, but it's nearly 5 am and you haven't slept more than an hour in a week and you have at least another week like this and if I can help both of us sleep then I'm going to do it." She said getting ready to list off the reasons they should do this if he asked and all the arguments she could think of to fight any other protestation he gave.

"You can't sleep?" he asked surprising her and sounding almost concerned with his hands dropping to her biceps as he took a half step forward looking as though he forgot her appearance. Suddenly she actually felt as naked as she was. She looked away from him to the corner of the very messy bed with the sheets pulled off the edge. She felt the urge to fix it but his gentle hold had her in place.

"They're young… both of them. So young. They're both so sweet. And I did this to them." She admitted to the revealed mattress her hands clenching against the need to cover herself. She just had to remember she was here to help him and she had to keep that up.

He huffed and nodded. "Yes they are. They aren't the youngest. One of the earlier years there was a girl who had only turned 12 a month before reaping." He reminded but that did not help. She looked down more and pulled back to go put back on her nightgown, this was a bad idea. Suddenly his finger was under her chin making her look back at him. "This wasn't you Princess, this was the Capitol but not you." He said firmly.

"I'm part of the Capitol." She said. She may not have her make up or her clothes or her wigs or fake nails but her accent was still there, her upbringing, her essence was a Capitol woman and he was a District Man. They were opposites, they were from different worlds but somehow they were the same too.

"Yes you are, but you're not … the same." He said not sure how to relay the information. "You're different, and I forget it sometimes but only long enough for you to remind me." He smirked and dropped his hands from her. "You should sleep. Big day tomorrow." He said and turned away. She had her moment to make the choice. She was naked and she was bared to him in nearly every way. She could run away and they could pretend this never happened and he would pretend it was a drunken stupor he'd forgotten by tomorrow, or she could make sure he would never forget.

Effie stepped forward and spun him around sealing her lips to his and pressing closer. She shocked him into being incapable of response for a moment and it was just long enough for her to lick his bottom lip running her hand over his side and feeling his muscles clench under her hand. He pushed her back looking down at her and before he could say anything she countered with a dangerous tone of warning "Don't you dare say we can't do this Haymitch Abernathy." She demanded in a firm tone.

He started again but her look stopped him. He could see it in her eyes; he wasn't going to stop this. She had her mind set and she was going to be stubborn about it. So he stopped fighting himself, he gave in pulling her to him with a strength and determination. It wasn't gentle on either side. He was ferocious like animal and she was matching his heat easily as she clawed at the pants he still on so rudely.

She finally managed to push his pants and boxers down before spinning so her back was to the bed and falling back onto the bed with a grasp on his shoulders pulling him with her, her legs parting as he fell between them. None of this was graceful or sweet as he ran his hands over her almost more like pawing at her but the feel of his callouses on her skin and touching her in ways she hadn't felt from another person's hands in years was intoxicating. Warm sandpaper hands moved over her thigh feeling so different as they moved over her skin. Suddenly she skimmed over her lower stomach and a curl of excitement shot through her making her body warm. She moaned at the sensation kissing away from his mouth to his neck nipping and biting at his skin every so often as she went then licking it with the tip of her tongue to sooth it until she found a place she liked right and the crux of his shoulder and neck and skunk in her teeth and sucking.

He hissed "Ack fuck." He growled making her pull away with a chuckle and nipping it again playfully. "Oh you think that's funny?" He grunted in a dangerously low voice that sent another wave of heat through her core.

"Yep." She said confidently up at him and seeing a twinkle of life in his eyes that she had never before seen in Haymitch, but she wanted to see it there so much more often. He moved himself lower down her going onto to his knees and pulling her higher on the bed before attaching his mouth to the tip of one of her breasts sucking on it and lightly grazing his teeth over it making her moan and gasp and arch up her groaning when she met nothing but air. "Fuck." She hissed out to the air her body pulsing to feel him fill her in the way she craved so entirely. "That's enough formalities don't you think dear?" She moaned to him looking at him telling him with her gaze what she wanted and seeing a mischievous look grace his handsome features and suddenly being worried.

"What? Ms Manners dismissing the formalities?" He teased and she growled her hand shooting out to grasp his mostly erect member rather firmly and moving her hand down it making him shout out at her "Fuck." He cursed and bat her hand away. "Fine." He grunted making her chuckle.

"Thank you." She said pulling him down and kissing him sloppily as he aligned with her center and pushed in quickly sliding easily into her telling her that she was, in fact, as wet as she had assumed she was. That didn't stop the moan that tore loudly from both of their throats at the feeling. She could feel a stretch she hadn't felt in years reminding her it had been a while. He stopped inside of her and grit her teeth making her look up at him confused as he took deep breaths. "What is it?" She asked curiously up at him laying a kiss on his chest making him make a noise that was quite obviously telling her not to do that.

"It's… been a while." He admitted through gritted teeth dropping his head to breath more with his eyes shut.

"Me too." She admitted making his head shoot up in shock and a blush coloring her cheeks, which were already rather red. She laughed and kissed him quickly. "Probably not as long as you but a few years at least." She said simply and he looked at her in awe and moaned.

"God Effie that is _not_ helping." He grunted to her.

"Then you better work fast, Mitch." She smirked up at him and he looked down at her his eyes dark and his hand moving where they were joined finding her clit and pressing on it making her gasp and buck up under him.

"Yes, Princess." He smirked cockily at getting that reaction. He started to move in and out of her as her legs came up to wrap around him and together they found a good angle. He sent a lot of time biting his lip and trying to hold back but somehow they found a rhythm that worked her into a state until he tensed shouting out his climax as his seed surged into her in warm spirts. She wasn't quite there yet but she ran a hand through his hair as he panted over her. "I… I'm sorry." He grunted out. She smiled and leaned up kissing his temple lightly.

"It's ok." She assured gently and suddenly he was pulling out of her and where his erection had been seconds ago there were suddenly two long, thick, calloused fingers moving in and out of her and a thumb grinding down on her center of nerves making her head throw back and quickly moving her back to the heady euphoria she had been in only moments before. Soon she was brought to her own climax screaming out her peek as her body clenched and spasmed around the fingers that kept their movements until she was panting and spent. Haymitch moved to the side and she instantly rolled over behind him wrapping her arms around him so he wasn't going anywhere. He looked back at her surprised though she missed it with her heavily lidded eyes and a huge yawn. Her head was foggy and her body was warm and ached pleasantly feeling tingling and weak.

"You got pretty loud there Princess." He commented with a smirk.

"I thought I should express my appreciation." She said waving him off.

Haymitch's face fell and he grunted and she huffed. She could nearly feel the self-hate pouring off of him like the stench of alcohol usually did.

"Don't be like that. Most Captiol men wouldn't even consider doing what you did if it happened to them, and it happens often and they have much more continuous practice. So stop." She chided cuddling closer to him laying her head on his chest and feeling his arm come up around her his hand playing with her hair and making her shiver.

"I was just compared to a man from the capitol and liked it. That is disgusting." He chuckled and she could hear the relaxation and fatigue starting to hit his vice too. She sigh happily as sleep came closer. "You look better like this." He said his chest rumbling.

She chuckled at him and opened one eye looking up at him "Like what? Sex rumpled and sleep deprived?" She said sarcastically.

"Natural." He said simply making her cheeks heat.

"Goodnight Haymitch." She said putting a kiss to his chest.

"Goodnight Effie." He responded and they both drifted off to the first peaceful sleep Haymitch had ever had and Effie's dreams filled with Haymitch and a different life for the Capitol woman that was falling in love with the District man.

The next Morning Effie woke up with the sun high in the sky and the bed warm beneath her, but instead of sheets she felt skin. The tributes would be in the training rooms, which they often went to without being escorted by their mentor and escort. She opened her eyes looking up at the sleeping Haymitch her dreams and the night before rife in her mind. She sighed content and placed a kiss to his chest before moving to stand up. She stretched and then stood picking up her nightgown and knickers walking into his bathroom connected to his room and turned on the shower to her settings stepping under and breathing out happily as she got in and the warm water washed over the aches and pains she had from the night before.

Haymitch heard the water and jumped up from the bed ready to defend. He looked around for Effie frantic as he remembered that she had fallen asleep with him and everything from the night before. He looked around for signs of her but there were none other than the sound of his shower. He silently crept into the room just in case it was danger and found her in there the entire bathroom smelling like some bouquet of roses and fruit as she rubbed something into her hair.

"I'll never get those settings back the way I like them." He groused to her walking over to the mirror and looking in seeing a lack of dark circles and his usual fatigued look. Everything felt dangerous and alien, him having someone in his life. He couldn't have people in his life; they would be taken from him. But Effie was a Capitol citizen, perhaps she was safer, but they could never know, no one ever could, and it could never happen again.

"Good Morning Haymitch, I slept wonderfully thank you and yourself? Oh Good to hear." She said sarcastically reminding him of his manners.

"I had them perfect! It took me forever to figure it out." He groused back but was holding back a smile. This was bad, this couldn't happen. He couldn't have any softness for her. He was danger, he would get her hurt. She looked beautiful through the glass of the shower though and he watched intently as she moved her hands over her skin, the skin he knew so intimately now. The skin that tasted like a sweet salt and smelled like a meadow.

"Oh I'll put them back when I'm done. Do back to bed you grouch and wake up when you're happier." She teased him playfully looking at him through the glass with a look that said she knew he was staring at her.

"Fine, but I expect them back to normal in time for my shower." He said going back into his room and crawling into bed feeling infinitely more awake than he had when she was there with him. He missed having her reassuring weight on his chest and feeling her warmth. She had appeased his demons and warded them off like a light scaring away the shadows and she was deadly. He pulled the covers up higher laying on his side to try and keep from feeling the loss of her weight as he listened to her hum off key in the shower with a smile on his face.

Effie came out of the shower wrapped in one of his extra towels, which he likely didn't know existed because for all the times he had come to the Capitol he still has no clue how to live in it, and looked over at the man. He wasn't asleep, she could see that, but his eyes were stubbornly closed so she bent down and picked up his shirt smelling it. It smelled of alcohol slightly, but there was something else, something she'd only discovered the night before, a scent that was him. She smiled and finished drying her skin and wrapped the towel around her hair, which she preferred to let dry naturally because it made it softer even if she was the only one to ever feel it, and pulled on the shirt walking out of the room to get breakfast and put her clothes in the receptacles.

She started to gather food for them when she heard a man's shout and she jumped dropping everything on the counter and running towards his room worried something was happening to him. When she got into the room she saw a very naked Haymitch covered in a pinkish purple soap and looking like a drench lion unhappy at his state. "Effie! Damn it!" He growled at her and her eyes grew confused her brow knitting together. "What does this smell like?" He asked offering her his arm.

She walked right past his outstreached arm to his neck and placed her nose in the crook between his shoulder and neck where a mark was standing proudly from when she bit him last night. "Roses, Lilac, lily , vanilla, and watermelon." She listed the scents of the soap she usually used and it dawned on her and she gasped trying not to laugh.

"I smell like a fucking field! What happened to putting the setting _back_ to how I _had_ them?" He groused at her trying not to let his anger be assuaged by how adorable she looked at her shock and horror at her realization of how sweet she was when she was confused or the way her nose had felt against his neck.

"I'm so sorry! I must have forgotten." She said looking over him.

"You're going to get in there this second and fix it!" He demanded pointing to the shower that was still on.

"I will not! It's still on! Turn it off and I will." She said standing firm in this and crossing her arms under her bust and standing in a stubborn stance saying she wasn't budging.

"Oh yes you will." He said and suddenly the mischievous and cunning look was back in his eyes and he was over to her fast than she had ever seen him move and picked her up bridal style making her squeal.

"Haymitch Abernathy you put me down this SECOND!" She demanded kicking her legs her arms going around his shoulders for safety as the soap that was coating his body soaked into the shirt that had smelled so wonderfully of him only seconds ago masking the smell she'd been enjoying with the scent of the floral soap.

"Not until you fix it." He said stepping under the spray with her in his arms making her squeal again but she couldn't stop the laugh and could see the smirk tugging at his own lips.

"Fine! Now look what you've done! We'll have to go shopping and buy you a new shirt." She chided turning her back with the water soaking into the white shirt that was drowning her moments ago and making it cling to her small form in it as she pressed the buttons to return it to the settings he had had them on. She huffed and stepped out of the way as a blue and green soap squirted from the wall with the sharp, spicy scents that he obviously used.

"Much better. You can go now." He said with a self-satisfied smirk making her huff and glare at him.

She crossed her arms and the pressed a button on the pad making an orange beef scented soap blast from the wall as she started to run. Just as she took her first steps, a strong, thick arm wrapped around her stomach plating her back firmly in the meat scented ooze and right against his chest. "EW." She squealed laughing as he pulled her close against him.

"That's right Trinket revenge is a bitch." He growled into her ear.

She gasped at him and chided "Language!" making him laugh in her ear, a deep rumble that made her knees weak.

"I seem to remember you saying much worse last night." He teased and planting a kiss to her neck and making her blush.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said trying to sound innocent.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes "Sure you don't Sweetheart. Now put it back."

"Please." She demanded. She would teach him manners if it killed them.

"Fine put it back, please?" He huffed out sounding annoyed.

"That's better." She said putting the settings back again and pulling back looking down at the now ruined white shirt with a huff.

"Thank you." He said then looked down at the shirt. "Just take it off." He suggested.

She looked up surprised to hear it from him. She nodded. "Good idea." She said and moved her hands up to the buttons.


	2. Another Day

**A/N:** Hello again. I should remind you the plot isn't in this chapter yet. We'll see hints of it in the next one or so but it really comes around later. However here and there you will see a change from the books. It's a slight divergence for HG and then a huge one for CF I hope you enjoy this as well and thank everyone for the support so far.

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After an invigorating round in the shower that required her to wash again once they were done, the two went out into the kitchen for breakfast him in a pair of pants and her in another of his shirts. He looked at the fruits all scattered on the counter and smirked. "Someone break in just to scatter food on the counter?" He teased good-naturedly as he looked back at her making her huff at his cocky face.

"It's hardly my fault! You screamed I was worried." She pouted at him with a slight glare making him laugh and walk over to her kissing her lightly on the lips. Normally he would be careful and worried but bathrooms and kitchens weren't bugged because of interference from the assortment of appliances and aerosol in both places and Beetee had built him a noise scrambler for his room. He always turned it on before he slept because he hated giving the capitol the satisfaction of knowing the affect they'd had on him. They probably did anyway, but he could at least pretend.

"I screamed because I smelled like grass." He countered making her roll her eyes.

"Flowers are not grass Haymitch." She said sounding annoyed but the smirk on her face betrayed her.

He smirked and shook his head. "Sorry, scented weeds." He shot in response and tickled her sides making her squeal and bat at his hands.

"Stop that! We're having breakfast. We're already behind schedule!" She chided wiggling her finger at him.

He smirked and leaned in kissing her neck to distract her. "Also not my fault." He said innocently, though it really was.

"Oh no, you're completely innocent. You were just the one that demanded a second round." She said her head tilting to give him more space and holding back a moan as his hands went from her sides to rest on her hips pulling her closer.

"You were the one that needed a second shower." He reminded with a chuckle. "And you could have said no." He added as he sucked a bit harder on her skin deciding he might enjoy her having a mark to match his.

She huffed and pushed him back. "Food." She reminded picking up an apple and taking a bite. "Then we have to go talk to some potential sponsors and of course meets with the other mentors to try and arrange alliances. I think we might have some luck with Districts 11 and 6 if we sell it right." She said remembering business as he pouted like a 5 year old being told he couldn't have a cookie and picked up a banana and pealing it.

"Yeah, yeah." He huffed getting it open and looking at her mischievously. "Hey you want a bite?" He asked offering her the top and she looked at him suspiciously but nodded leaning forward wrapping her lips around the tip and slowly taking a bite waiting for whatever the catch was and surprised when he didn't seem to do anything but watch her intently as she pulled back. "You should eat these more often Princess." He said with dark eyes and she looked at him confused for a moment until she realized he was referring to the phallic resemblance people often said bananas had which made her blush and push his shoulder.

"You're incorrigible!" She exclaimed feigning offense.

"I got good reason to be." He smirked looking her over. "You really are beautiful without the decorations." He complimented seriously making her blush deeper and look down, flattered.

"Thank you." She said looking up at him through her eyelashes with a small smile then cleared her throat standing straighter. "Now we both have to go get ready. Be out here in one hour." She said firmly and he stood ramrod straight and threw her a mocking salute making her roll her eyes and huff.

He took her waist and kissed her one last time and smiled madly. "See you in an hour." He said smiling down at her and stealing her apple taking a bite as she made an affronted noise and he gave it back.

"And do try to behave." She huffed to him rolling her eyes and untangling form his arms slowly with a smile on her face pecking his cheek.

"I always do." He said with a wink and smacked her ass playfully making her squeak in shock and glare as he laughed eating his banana and watching her walk away.

In her room looking in her mirror Effie was almost sad to put on her armor. She had never been one to much care for her normal face and hair but the way Haymitch had looked at her was so sweet. Putting on her clothes meant that their time alone was at an end and she would have to face the world and she knew they should for their tributes, but she didn't want to for herself. She was worried that going out into the world meant they would fall back into habit. He would start drinking and pull back into himself and she would flutter about oblivious to the world and get lost in the disguise. That he would see her like this and remember that he hated her and she would lose what she'd just gotten, which shouldn't matter to her, but it did. She hadn't gotten Haymitch Abernathy out of her system; she'd gotten him into it in the most unalienable way possible. She couldn't imagine being with another man now, not after that. She sighed and picked up the brush and powder in front of her and started applying it. No use in wasting the day when two lives rested on their shoulders. An hour later Effie had her make up perfectly applied and her ensemble was flawless down to the sky high heels and silk gloves. She waited and waited some more and ten minutes passed. The man had much less to do than she did he should have been early! He usually didn't put any effort into his appearance at all! So where was he? She huffed and walked to his room opening the door to find him sitting there doing absolutely nothing.

"I knew you only ran late to annoy me." She accused crossing her arms over her chest and giving him _the look._

He looked up surprised and smirked. "Not true! I am usually genuinely too drunk to be on time. This time I was just thinking." He said walking over to her with a self-assured smirk.

"Well think later we've got sponsors to meet!" She chirped. He smiled and shook his head and she could see the underlying feeling. She knew she looked different than the woman she'd been last night. She had on her capitol mask, the one that had kept her safe for 10 years now. He walked up to her and looked her right in the eyes and for a moment she thought his icy grey eyes might look into her depths, and it made her insides squirm and her skin prick with the memory of his hands on her and the itch to feel it again. He was looking into her and seeing the one piece of her that could never change. Deep in her eyes, no matter what was on them, his Effie was still inside if you looked for her.

After a moment he smirked like he knew exactly what he had made her feel, though he was smirking at his assurance she was still there, and blinked to break the gaze a bit. "Lead the way, Princess." She coughed and nodded and started to walk out the door him behind her every step his eyes glued directly to her ass with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

The courtyard was rife with people talking to escorts and mentors. There were people from all Districts around; many of the Victors spent a lot of time during the games at the capitol. The duo walked into a room full of possible sponsors talking to Districts 1-11 and scanned for faces trying to make a plan and get in early bets. Effie's eyes were on the people, Haymitch's were on the bar. "Those two over there look like they might work." She said pointing to a woman with purple curls and a gold circlet with green stripes painted on her skin to match her dress and a man in head to toe neon orange fur.

"Yeah good idea. I'll go get a drink and meet you over there." He said in a tone that said he was clearly appeasing her. She shot him a glare. Of course he was going to get a drink. She was a fool to think she could keep him sober! She was a fool to think it changed anything at all between them. Sex was sex, it didn't have to mean anything. But it had. It had meant something to her. He looked over at her and knocked her shoulder in a way that could have looked like an accident to anyone else. "Cheer up Princess. What is it you always say?" He reminded though he sounded as though he honestly couldn't remember.

"Eyes bright, chins up, smiles on." She chirped brightly to him in her normal, higher pitched, happy go lucky, airy, Capitol accent.

"That's my girl. Now go stake our claim." He said and walked over to the bar as she headed for the two Capitol people.

It had been a long and interesting night for him. He went to sleep of his own accord, a rarity in itself, and ended up having dreams about his games, which wasn't so rare. Every year was the same. He would sleep and that year's tributes would be the people he had killed or seen die. It was awful; it was what drove him to drink in the first place. Suddenly waking up to a half-naked blonde woman in his room whom, while rather stunning, he did not know was not exactly and expected thing. Not to mention that woman turned out to be Effie. Over the years he had started to see another side to Effie, one did not spend as much time with someone as he did with her and not see other parts of them. He didn't know how many years it had been, too many probably. Either way he had seen her laugh, he had seen her cry, he had seen her be an idiot, and he had seen her be the most intelligent person in the world. There were days he wasn't sure he knew which Effie was the real one. He admitted some of the less outrageous outfits had made him see her physically but it was her mind that fascinated him.

Effie Trinket was a strange woman. She didn't exactly fit the stereotype of your average Capitol ditz as he expected her to. There were days when he was more sober than she thought he was, that he would see her doing something surprising and out of character. Nothing big, just something that showed that she wasn't a drone that enjoyed luxury and never thought beyond herself and her schedules. The year he held her and watched her cry had been a tipping point for him. Her wig had tipped to the side and he had seen a wisp of blonde hair and her eye makeup had faded so he could see some of her real skin. It reminded him, for the first time in a long time, that the Capitol fashion she was always in that made her resemble a clown, was not the real woman. It wasn't tattooed on, it came off. It changed. It reminded him that she wore a mask and he didn't actually know what was under it.

Last night, seeing her free from all of that, was a shock to him. Yes he had started to think softly of her from time to time, but he had not expected her appearance to be as beautiful as her mind could be. His heart nearly stopped when she dropped that dress. He still had to contain himself just thinking about it.

Haymitch huffed and shook his head. It wasn't safe to have those thoughts out here. It wasn't safe to have them at all. He knew sex was just sex here. She probably did it trying to shut his screams up. No, he meant nothing to her, though the night had been nice. It was good to see that side of her. He knew she could be sassy and sharp and quick witted. But the seductive, flirty part was hidden pretty deep. He wondered how many more layers he had to discover and for a moment he thought he honestly wouldn't mind digging.

He ordered a drink, picking a rather weak from of his usual all brand of spirits and saw Chaff walking over. He nodded to Haymitch as he ordered one for himself. "You and Effie seem close today." Chaff observed making Haymitch's eyes shoot up.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"Normally you do everything in your power to annoy the living hell out of the woman and today you seem so… close." Chaff responded looking around the room not at his friend. Their voices were lower than the din and they were watching the people around to be sure no one was eaves dropping. One could always trust the Capitol to be listening. "Something to share with the class?"

"Nope. I don't know, Maybe we're just… having an off day." He said feigning ignorance and cursing himself for letting it show so much. He couldn't slip like that.

Chaff leaned in closer to his friend and lowered his voice more. "Just be careful, don't forget they aren't our friends. They're the Capitol, the enemy, no matter how much time they spend with us. We're just entertainment to them." He reminded darkly. Haymitch let his eyes stray over to Effie watching her talk and laugh with the two possible sponsors. Her eyes strayed to him for just a moment but in that moment it changed slightly, it was different. Haymitch had always thought the same way about Escorts, but now he was wondering if maybe, just maybe, Effie wasn't the same as the others. He shook his head and pushed the thoughts away taking his drink.

"Yeah." He said gruffly and walked away to the group.

The rest of the day was mostly a blur to him. It was watching Effie do her song and dance with people as he sat back quietly watching. Each one said they'd think about it, but they both knew what that meant. He watched her with the people chattering about clothes and trends and the excitement of the games and it was all so contrasting. His mind started to fog as he thought and slowly the drinks got stronger and went down faster as he tried to analyze her and just confused himself. She had been a totally different person last night and this morning! Not just the way she looked. Her eyes were deeper and different, her smile was different and the way she talked, while still the same accent and cadence, was deeper and less airy. She had been more substantial, held more weight, been less… Capitol.

Staring at her all day and watching her with her people it hit him just how much he did not belong there and with her, how very different they were and how much of a mistake the night before had been. The entire day Effie had felt Haymitch's eyes on her, watched as his drinks got stronger and his attention span got shorter. Her heart sank with every polite denial and conversation. One person had even walked straight from saying perhaps to her, over to the district 1 mentor and handed him a check. She wished she could reach out to Haymitch, pull him from his fog and beg him to stand with her, to give her hope. There was none though, and he was not that man, and she could not let them see the change between them. If she showed anyone the change she knew something would happen to one or both of them, she wasn't a fool.

By the end of it all they were exhausted, confused, and aggravated in a way. He was teetering between very drunk and slightly sober, and she was hungry and starting to get nauseous from the rank stench of alcohol pouring off him. She could take a small whiff of the pointedly sweet smell but the amount that exuded from him was unbearable at this point. They walked to the elevator and she sighed, leaning back against the bar and shifting her weight between her feet, her head resting against the glass, and eyes closed. He looked over at her and swallowed back the urge to touch her, to kiss her exposed neck. He was angry at her, aggravated at the capitol woman for tricking him into bed with her. Obviously he had been too sober to think clearly but now he was drunk enough to see what it had been, a sham.

"That was a very long day! I think one or two looked promising though!" She said trying to keep her spirits up so she didn't have to go back and see two children that were facing death. This was so much easier when they were older, though it was never truly easy.

"Yeah, right." He scoffed at her with an edge of anger in his voice.

She looked at him her eyes squinted in curiosity and her face on the verge of anger "I am trying to keep my spirits up! We have two children in there to try and keep happy for a few days! It is the least we can do!" she said just as snippy as he was at the end of the day and not much feeling like keeping her manners with him when her feet hurt as much as they did in that moment. These had to be the least comfortable heels she owned, though they were very cute.

"The least we could do would be to let 'em go!" He slurred back his voice raising.

"Well I don't have that power do you? Hum? Do you want to go down and tell the peace keepers they can go home we're just going to cancel the games and send them home because you want to?" She countered angrily.

He grunted but didn't respond and she huffed angrily at him just in time for the doors to the penthouse to open. She walked in trying not to stomp like a child in her anger and he slunk in after her with just as much attitude. Upon seeing the tributes she pushed away her anger at Haymitch choosing to be happy to try and keep them brighter. Haymitch on the other hand fell into his chair in the living room and looking pouty.

"How was training?" She asked like a mother to her children coming home from school. "Learn any new skills? Make any allies?" She asked brightly to the two as though she was talking about homework and gossip and not their lives being at stake. In that instant she almost hated herself for it, but she knew it was her job. Keep the children as close to happy as she could and put on a pretty face for the Capitol.

"Emma has a crush on a career!" Micah teased his fellow tribute making her blush profusely.

"I do not!" She squeaked.

"Do too you watched him all day and kept giggling when he talked to you!" He shot back like and older brother. Moments like these hurt her the most. She looked to Haymitch who downed the last of his glass and waved to an Avox for more and she hated him for it. The way he could just tune them out, and not care while she was watching her heart break.

"Well he did look very handsome from what I saw. He's a good choice." She said smiling at Emma. "Why don't we have some dinner hum? I'm sure you're hungry after a long day!" she offered. She remembered the first day Micah and Emma had been here. They both looked at Haymitch and Effie like they would slit their throats themselves. It had shaken her to the core, it always did. She explained the amenities they had and Micah had started to brood while Emma, the younger of the two, stared in awe at the bright colors and pretty dresses. Effie even let her try on one of her wigs. The little girl had liked that.

"Yeah I'm starving." Micah said with a big nod. Micah had taken much longer to brighten up. Effie had sat down and talked to him, chastising him on the importance of manners and not putting his feet on the table when he had brooded to her asking what it mattered if he was just going to die anyway. She had wanted to break down apologizing to the boy right then. He had the same grey eyes of Haymitch with black hair but paler skin. She knew if he'd grown up he'd have been a handsome man, he would never be that to the world, but he would grow in Effie's heart. They all did. Every face for the last 10 years. They were all there, growing every year and yet frozen in time. She imagined all the experiences they should have had even when it broke her heart and she tried very hard not to. Effie had told him about enjoying himself and not thinking about the end but the journey. It was nonsense and would make no difference in the end, but the boy had warmed to her and the situation and that was all she wanted, to make his last days brighter.

Emma looked at him laughing "Bet I can eat more than you!" She said challengingly her red curls glinting in the light with her green eyes bright.

"You're on!" Micah said running to his plate and both of them filling their plates full to the brim. That was part of what she loved most about the young ones: How easily they were made happy and how much they could see the light and good for all the darkness. It was also what she hated most in them, as she watched the light fade from their eyes as the promise of more was stolen away.

"Haymitch are you eating?" She asked looking at him slouched on his armchair looking sulky and sullen.

He waved his hand at her "Yeah yeah, be right in." He said and she huffed at him and flounced away trying not to let his passive motions hurt her. Something had changed and she didn't like the change one bit. She needed to see what was wrong, but not in front of the tributes that wouldn't do at all.

Effie walked in and sat at the right of the head of the table, the head was reserved for Haymitch should he choose to appear. She smiled and listened intently to the two's stories about her day, Emma most defiantly had a crush on Mr. Silver Kignsman, the male tribute from District 1 and Effie had a sneaking suspicion Micah had his own little budding attraction to someone in the games from the way he blushed and glared every so often. Eventually Haymitch stumbled in taking his seat and filling his plate smelling even worse than when she'd left him.

"Effie?" Micah asked making her look away from Haymitch back to him and putting on her best smile to dazzle him.

"Yes Micah dear? " She asked sweetly.

Micah looked down at the plate of food before him and then took a bite and she nodded to him encouragingly and Emma elbowed him whispering 'go'. "If I win the games, when I turn 18… will you marry me?" He asked sweetly. So sweetly she almost wanted to cry. The boy that had come in with so much anger and pain and fear was now sitting there sweetly dreaming of a future. She sniffed slightly trying to hold back her tears unsure what to say. Haymitch however felt a rage building in his stomach. He couldn't explain it but just because he didn't want to be tricked by Effie, didn't mean anyone else could have her. "It's just. You're really pretty, even without your wig and you're really nice… so… will you?" he asked and Emma giggled next to him making him Blush even more. Effie smirked, realizing Micah had been the open door last night.

Haymitch glared at the boy and grumbled out a "Don't do it kid." Making Effie shoot him a glare to cover over how much his little jibe hurt her.

"Haymitch! Manners!" She chided the drunk. "Of course I will Micah. So you must win for me hum?" She encouraged brightly making him smile and nod. Everyone at the table knew he wouldn't win, but it never hurt to give him some hope to look forward to and dream of. Haymitch's eyes shot to hers and his nostrils flared and he stood up without warning making Effie and Emma jump in surprise and Micah glare at him for being so rude to Effie. Effie and Haymitch looked at each other the gazes heated and a charge of anger and hurt running through both of them before Haymitch turned away. "Where are you going?" She chastised with her question.

"U'm Not hungry." He slurred back grumpily and stalked off towards his room. She made an affronted noise and turned back to her tributes; entertaining them through dinner until both were too tired and she told them to go to bed.

After the tributes were in bed and sleeping Effie walked to her room thoroughly washing the makeup off her face as the day ran through her head. Haymitch and his drinking and barking and grumping and pouting. If she didn't know any better she would say he was more of a child then Micah and Emma, which he probably was! He had been impossible all day and worst of all was that it hurt. It was so confusing after the way they had started the day with jokes and kisses and so much more. It had seemed perfect, she didn't know what changed. It hadn't even been after putting on her capitol mask, it had been while they talked to the sponsors. She tried to think of what she's said to encourage such behavior but nothing came to mind. Once she was out of her makeup and clothes she looked down at her feet hissing as she pulled her shoes off. She had several blisters that had popped during the day and a few places where her skin had scraped away bleeding. It was her job to be in top fashion, to put on a beautiful appearance to bring in sponsors. She supposed it wasn't an art if you didn't bleed for it.

She rinsed off her feet with a towel and put on some bandages not even bothering with the healing balm she knew was under her sink. She could deal with a little pain here and there and it was far from the worst she'd ever had. At least the knives hadn't come back into fashion. A dress made of daggers and shoes with actual knife points for the heel were not good for the state of her body but she had looked very dangerous and had kind of liked it even if she had come away with rather worrying gashes all over her legs and arms and one on her hip that she'd nearly had to go to the hospital for. She opened her door wearing his shirt from this morning and peeked out of her door. No one was around, it was too early for him to be asleep but once they went to their rooms the Avoxes usually left.

Effie stepped out of her room into the hall walking on quiet feet and staying in the shadows. She knew about the cameras just like anyone else and if she got spotted going into Haymitch's room twice in a row only half dressed and not coming out until morning she would be in trouble and so would he. Even if tonight they were more likely to argue than anything else. She opened the door and he was facing away from her and staring at the programmable wall screen that was not turned on.

"Go away Sweetheart, I'm not in the mood." He grumped at her not moving a muscle.

She walked around the bed to look at his profile seeing a tumbler full of some sort of blue liquid. The room, however, was not as permeated by the smell as she expected and the glass looked to be the same one he had stormed off with at dinner. "Well too bad because we obviously need to talk if you're going to act like this." She pushed.

"I always act like this." He shot back.

"No you don't. You aren't the most accommodating person in the world, I admit, but you don't always act like this! Something is wrong." She shot back angrily and pushing.

"You wanna know what's wrong? Fine." He said standing and reeling around to her. "I'll tell you what's wrong. I get used enough by the Capitol and so will those kids! We don't need you usin' us fer entertainment and laughin' at us when we're down." He growled his shoulders hunched and the glass from his hand now on the table though she hadn't seen him do it. For the first time in her life she was genuinely afraid of Haymitch Abernathy. She had felt him nearly kill her once, she knew he was a dangerous man, but until that moment she never expected he could actually hurt her. This second though he looked ready to pounce and tear her apart.

"I've never…" She started but he jumped in too quickly.

"You never thought I'd figure it out? Well I did! And you can go back to yer room. I'm not playin' yer game tonight so you can go deal with yer problems _yourself_ like everyone else!" He yelled at her and it dawned on her what he though. The fact that he could even expect she was using him like that, after all the years they'd known each other and all the respect she _thought_ they had for each other, as she certainly had it for him, he thought she would do that to him? That thought boiled in her stomach like fire and she straightened walking straight up to him and looking him right in the eyes standing less than a foot from him and very much inside the proper personal space allotted to a person by basic societal decency. But if Haymitch wasn't going to be decent he wasn't going to get a mannered decency!

"Now you listen here Haymitch Abernathy." She said in a dangerous tone. He started to open his mouth but she stuck up a finger and silenced him with a look that made her look even more dangerous than he did. He knew she could be, that was the secret of this one Capitol woman, most were too stupid or caught up in their world to be dangerous but Effie was different even if she didn't let on. "I will have you know that I have _never_ used or laughed at you or any of our Tributes. I have loved every single one of them and I have mourned their loss and I will keep mourning them until I die! You were the one person I had with me, you never seemed to go through it the same but I knew you felt it! I knew it hurt you too and that helped. You were the only other person in the world who understood and I could never laugh at you and there were moments were I hated you for being able to go into your bottle and pretend the world wasn't waiting out here to destroy one life after another but there were times when I loved you for being there, even if it was just physically. For 10 years you were the only person who lived anything like my pain and yes yours was much worse but you nearly understood and I needed you every time and you were there and now you're accusing me of using you and it's simply not true because I care for you and I haven't stopped caring for you and I haven't been able to even look at another man in 3 _years_ simply because he isn't you and can't measure up and it's infuriating because you're a District drunk and I should hate you but I can't imagine that being any father from the truth even if you are an insensitive asshole with no manners a majority of the time!" She ranted at him to the point he wasn't sure if she had even taken a breath.

She had leaned forward with every sentence, every emphasized word. They were practically nose to nose then her glaring up at him with fire in her eyes and he glaring down at her with a cooler, icier version that seemed to spark the closer they got. Their faces were barley a centimeter apart even though, bare foot her nose was about even with his chin. Suddenly his hand was on her neck pulling her forward and his lips were on hers and his tongue was in her mouth and she was clawing at him to bring him closer. Nothing in this was sweet or slow or playful. It was hard and fast and angry and full of fire. She clawed at his shirt pulling it open and undoing the buttons with shaky hands and he grabbed her hips pulling them close. She jumped up wrapping her legs around his waist and he held her easily as though she weighed nothing. Somehow his shirt fell off her shoulders and she got his pants down and his shirt off him and her nails scraped over her skin and his fingers held her hips in a bruising grip. She pulled back from his lips and the battle between their tongues, both of them panting and undone.

She looked down into his eyes for a second and kissed him more lightly and he looked up at her like a broken man. His eyes screamed that he needed her, that he was broken and afraid and angry at the world and he needed her to help him. She lowered her mouth and kissed his jaw with a light nip on the skin there that seemed to break the moment and bring back the intensity. They tumbled to his bed clawing and ripping away the last pieces of clothing his hands running over her sides and grabbing her as she ground up against him. Her nails going down his back in scratches and leaving welts and grabbing his ass pulling him down harder and making him moan.

Effie was nipping down his jaw and neck and pulled back when his hand pushed up her side to her breast kneading it and pinching the nipple pulling on it. Her hands tangled in his hair her nails scratching his scalp trying to pull his mouth to hers but he denied her instead going to her breast and taking it between his teeth sucking it and nipping the skin around it lightly his hand sneaking to her entrance and plunging in shocking her and making her gasp as her back arched up. He chuckled and the sound would have pissed her off to no end if his fingers hadn't been pumping in and out of her and flexing to push her walls in the most fantastic ways that was driving her quickly to insanity while his sucking on her breast and the way his shockingly talented tongue flicked and licked and teased stole her words and turned them to breathy pants with just enough sound to be related to a whimper.

It didn't take long for him to get impatient and press his thumb to her clit as he worked her making her shout out as her body tensed in pleasure and she fell back panting with his cock stabbing into her stomach insistently asking for attention. She started to move down to deal with it for him when he pulled her back up with a grunt. "Nutuh." He said intently bringing the hand soaked in her juices to his lips and sucking it off as she watched. He was thorough and it was a bit more of a turn on than she expected it to be. She pulled his hand from his mouth and attacked his mouth with hers flipping them over so she was on top this time. He tried to roll them again but it was her turn. She planted herself and pulled back looking into his eyes.

"Nutuh." She repeated to him with a challenging smirk making him chuckled and shake his head.

"Whatever you say, Princess." He grumbled to her folding his hands behind his head and lounging back like he didn't have a care in the world. She glared at his blasé attitude and got a devious idea. His hands were busy, so she would take care of herself for him. Sure she was wet enough to take him in, but not near close enough for what he would be content with from what she'd seen last night and this morning. She looked down at him with the mischievous smirk he was so happy to use on her and he looked back with a curious challenge. She took that as permission and rested her back against his demanding member and ran a hand up her own body cupping her breast in a show for him as she kneaded herself and pinched the tip her eyes locking to his. His eyes instantly went hungry but he didn't move. He watched enjoying himself if the insistent pulse on her back was any indication. She ground her hips against him as she did so making him hiss the smirk off his face and she ran her other hand up and down her stomach using the nail to tease herself. He reached up to grab her but she hit his hands and pulled away.

"Patience." She chided her tone deep and throaty from the attention she was giving herself and the anticipation of having him in her and the look in his eyes that shot right to her core filled with anger and heat and lust and impatience and desire.

"I'm not much good at that one sweetheart. What was that you told me? Better work fast?" He quoted last night and she laughed at him until he bucked up and she moaned. She decided it might be ok now, after all she could torture him more later or something. She lifted herself onto her knees and took him in hand lining them up and lowering onto him and he grit his teeth not to moan too loudly and she hummed happily her muscles stretching and constricting in an interesting dance to accommodate him. His hands went to her hips and this time she let them as she rose up and lowered down again deeper with each stroke. There weren't words. There was plenty of panting and moaning as she moved over him but their mouths never moved. They stared at each other. Him watching her body and her watching his reactions. As she drew closer and closer to the edge she leaned over him changing the angle and kissing his lips as he hit a place deep inside of her making her entire body wrack with the most amazing pleasure. She pulled back to breath as her eyes closed and her body tensed. He couldn't hold himself back anymore once he felt her climax and let go, gushing his seed into her and panting both trying to be quieter than last night. They both knew there was danger now and there was plenty to talk about. She collapsed on top of him and wrapped his arms around her.

Effie buried her nose against his neck and it was all quiet for a moment. They both knew they had too much to say but there was nowhere to start. "Please don't marry Micah." Haymitch grumbled first making her laugh slightly and kissing his chest taking a deep breath of his skin.

"I won't. Even if Micah did win the games, he would find someone in his District or someone better than me I'm sure." She said laughing and shaking her head at him. "You were genuinely worried about that? Haymitch I'm over twice his age." She reminded kissing her way up his chin to his lips as his arms wrapped around her when she kissed his lips and he kissed back. This kiss was sated and languid and romantic. All of their rage and anger was gone as was his defenses against her.

"You underestimate yourself, Eff. I live in District 12 and I can honestly say no woman there could compare to you." He said looking up at her and brushing her hair gently from her face trailing his finger down her cheek lovingly. She blushed at his words and shook her head and he watched her in awe. He realized just how many masks she had, just how much of an act most of her behavior was. She was confident and insecure, she was sassy and she was submissive, she was strong and she was accommodating. She was so many things and only he got to see all of them. It made him realize just how stupid he had been watching her all day and taking those actions as proof that she had used him. It wasn't the Capitol woman that was the real Effie, the woman in his arms right now, the sweet and blushing and beautiful and intelligent and fiery woman, was the _real_ Effie. The one who didn't have a mask.

"Will you tell me why you were so distant and angry today?" She asked changing the subject. She needed to know why but he very much did not want to tell her. He huffed and looked away and she brought up her hand making him look at her. "I didn't understand why you were pulling away from me so much. It hurt." She said upset. "Did you really think I would use you like that? Because if so you should know much better and…" He cut her off before she could start rambling.

"Effie. Calm down. Yes I thought that, but not at first. It was watching you all day being a Capitol woman." She started to talk but he quiet her with a quick peck. "I know that's not really you. You got your turn." He reminded and she settled back against his chest to listen to the rumble of his vice and draw senseless patters on his skin with the pad of her finger, something he found very distracting. "You'd be amazed what you are capable of thinking with alcohol… and demons like mine. I started to think it was a trick and you were mocking me because that's how I've been all my life. You tell anyone about this and I will deny it."

"Honestly Haymitch, who will I tell." She huffed at him looking up at him sharply and he laughed and ran a hand through her hair soothing her back down to her resting state.

He shook his head. "But the thing that started it was Chaff noticing." He said and she gasped. He knew she understood the implications of that, how dangerous it would be if anyone knew about them, which made him proud. His princess wasn't dumb, a bit oblivious and obviously blind to herself, but not dumb. "He asked me when we got so close and it worried me." He said his hand coming up to her shoulder rubbing over it gently and enjoying the feel of her skin under his fingers. "We have to be careful. If we even want to keep going with this… no one can know. Not the other mentors, not the other escorts, no one. The Capitol is everywhere and they wouldn't approve of an escort and a mentor in a relationship. We could get in a lot of trouble, you could get hurt and I've lost enough people in my life I won't lose you too." He said firmly shaking his head against the thought and the pain that thought sparked in him. He couldn't imagine losing Effie like he had everyone else in his life. He had tried for a long time not to love her, not to let it affect him, but now it was and he didn't want to let it go, not again.

"I don't want to stop. This is probably the best relationship I've ever had. Hell I don't think I _could_ stop now. If I thought no one measured up before…" She trailed off making him look at her surprised and smirking.

"You liked it then did you." He said with a cocky smile.

She slapped his chest lightly. "Oh Haymitch." She chastised blushing and they both laughed for a moment before she looked up into his eyes. "I like you." She said emphasizing with a kiss to the lips and turned from innocent to deep and romantic, sharing their emotions to each other through actions. Haymitch had never been good at words.

He grunted his thanks to wave it off a bit so she wouldn't see it affect him. "Then we need rules, or at least a plan. I'm sure you know the Penthouse is bugged." He said.

"Of course." She said and he felt a surge of pride. He suspected she did but it was good to know it was true.

"So we have to be careful with being seen. What we say in my room is alright. Beetee built me something a few years back. I didn't like letting them know that they had gotten to me." He said. She took every pearl of information to heart. It was rare for Haymitch to share anything with anyone yet here he was telling her some of his deepest details. She was the only constant in his life though, the only person close to him since he was a teen. It was different for them. "Anywhere else though we have to be careful and I can't keep it on all the time. Only at night or they start to notice. Bedrooms aren't visually bugged, and bathrooms and kitchens aren't at all so we're safe there. Outside of the penthouse nothing can have changed, hell outside of this room nothing can have changed. We still have to behave the same way we always have." He said and making her laugh and he looked down confused.

"It may only have been a day but from what I see the only difference in our relationship is that we're now having sex and sometimes I can get you to actually put the bottle down and talk to me." She informed with a smile making him laugh too. They stood a little closer, laughed a little louder, stared a little longer. Hell they had worked together for long enough maybe he finally told her something about him. No other escort had only one mentor, no other mentor worked so closely with their escort so often. It was almost guaranteed they'd make friends with each other, even a little bit. They couldn't be extremely close in public but perhaps if she still yelled at him, and he still antagonized her, maybe they didn't have to make all that many bans.

He nodded to her. "Just… be careful. The more they know the more they can hurt you." He said darkly.

"Us. The more they know the more they can hurt _us_. You're not alone anymore." She said with a gentle firmness. She wouldn't let him think like that, not anymore. He looked at her and kissed her in thanks and she lay back on him looking at the still full glass of alcohol. "I'm sure this will cause a fight, and I almost don't want to say it because of that, but I wish you didn't drink so often." She commented carefully with hesitation rife in her voice.

He sighed and looked at the glass. "If I drink less, will you wear less make up when you can. You look strange with unnaturally white skin." He said looking at her. He liked seeing some of his real Effie mixed into the Capitol's copy of her.

She laughed and nodded. "Alright, I can do that." She said and suddenly shivered feeling the cold that their previous activities had staved off. Body head alone could only do so much. He looked at her skin seeing gooseflesh all over her arms and moved down to get the blankets they had kicked to the bottom of the bed at some point when he spotted her feet all bandaged and some of them had small patches of blood showing.

"Eff, what happened to your feet?" He asked staring at them with fear in his voice. She looked up at him confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked not feeling anything wrong with them.

"Why have they got bandages on them? It looks like someone took a whip to 'em." He said darkly not looking at her and going a bit closer.

She looked down and saw her bandages; she'd forgotten the rest of her body distracting her from a few popped blisters. "Oh it's nothing. High Heels do that sometimes. Hardly the worst damage I've had from my wardrobe. You should have seen the season when broken glass was the absolute peak of fashion. Oh God or the knives. I won't land in the hospital for a few popped blisters." She assured trying to appease him but the look on his face didn't look very appeased.

"You went to the hospital?!" He growled at her making her eyes grow big and she backed down a bit.

"No! Not really. I was close but some salve and some water and rest cleared it right up. The fashion ended quickly. It's my job to be at the height of Fashion fads Haymitch. It's required for me as an escort!" She reminded gently but making it clear she was not moving in this.

"God the Capitol _is_ made of idiots! I can't believe you wore Knives and broken glass!" He growled to her trying to keep his voice down not to be heard in the halls.

"Would you be nice!" she started searching for something in her mind to calm him down at least but he interrupted her not listening at all.

"No! You could have gotten seriously hurt! What happens if one of these stupid fads hurts you so badly you…" He stopped abruptly fear in his gaze and she sighed moving closer to her and putting her hand on his cheek.

"I'll be careful with the fashion. Only be up on the cutting edge when the edge doesn't actually cut. Perhaps one day avoiding it I'll start the newest fad myself." She said trying to appease him and spin it better to make him relax. "Will that fix it for you?"

He sighed and huffed out a chuckle. "Yeah. Sounds good Princess." She said with a small smile but got slightly more serious as he looked up at her again. "Just don't go leaving me ya hear?" He said hugging her to him and kissing her neck before burrowing his face there.

"Same goes for you." She said gently sad at the thought it was even possible as she tangled a hand in his hair. "Now let's sleep." She suggested taking the blankets and pushing him to lie down so she could go back to using him as a pillow and together they curled up and went to sleep. Their night was peaceful and left them hoping to meet a brighter morning together.


	3. I Am The Capitol

**A/N: **HEY LOOK! Now we see the first hint of what might have something to do with a plot! YAY! Soo this chap may be a bit sad... sorry about that... But hey this is Hayffie... it's not like you came here expecting sunshine and rainbows!

* * *

Effie had been right when she said nothing had changed, but she had been wrong too. Everything had changed, but they were still them. They still argued constantly. He still got on her nerves, drank too much, and could be utterly insensitive sometimes. She still fluttered around, hid herself too far away, and nagged him to kingdom come. It wasn't that they were magically different, or suddenly everything was roses and they got along and everything that annoyed them about each other vanished or was shrunk from what it was, it was just that sometimes in the middle of the nagging and hiding and capitol chatter she would say something that was more for him than the rest of the world, a little jibe that was more of an inside joke than anything and he would have to take a drink of the, substantially less intoxicating, liquor in his hand to cover the smirk. It was that he finally learned how to pull out a chair for someone other than himself as she flounced around with normally colored skin and less extravagant eyes and lips. It was the small things that they did to prove to the other every day that they were worth each other's time and effort and patience and even worth all the anxiety of hiding. While stealing kisses in the kitchens or bathrooms and getting to spend time together at night was nice, it was hard to sneak around in a place that literally had eyes and ears everywhere and you could never tell where they were.

It was all fine until the games started. Effie had gotten to live in her world playing mother to the two children making both as happy as she could and trying to make them see the bright side of everything as was her job. They had done amazingly in the interview and both been adorable and charming and sweet and not a single sponsor had even come by. Today they were going into the arena and it had her shaking and worried and afraid for the two that she loved so much, probably more than any other tributes they'd had. She watched the start of the games with tension rife in her. Her back was a board her hands were in her lap and had she not worn gloves everyone would have seen the white knuckles. Haymitch had gotten a stronger drink to keep himself calm while she stared with wide, unblinking eyes at the two children in her care as they ran off to the games. She didn't mind that he had a drink. She kind of wanted one too.

She had a good four or so inches between her and anything but the cushion under her on the couch. Haymitch, though sprawled to appear relaxed, was hugging the corner of his chair just as tense as she was. The countdown started and one of the Escorts raised a toast matching the jovial manner she was meant to be in. She forced a smile and cheered with the other Capitol citizens and she had never hated the Capitol more than she did in that moment. She was raising a glass to celebrate the death of two children she loved so much. Everyone in her life, everyone she had been friends with for so long, they were enjoying it, they always did. It hadn't eaten at her this much before but seeing it now, knowing it had always been like this, she understood why the mentors were so upset at the cheer. She saw the darkness in the games, she saw all the things that there was to hate about the people around her, and she saw what she used to be. She shot a quick glace a Haymitch that was staring at her broodily, their eyes met and she thought he might know what she was thinking and how much she hated herself. Then the buzzer rang making her jump and stare at the screen.

"You ok there Sweetheart?" Haymitch said, his tone dripping mockery from its very core but she saw the flick in his dark and sullen grey eyes that told her he was genuinely worried that she was going to do something stupid and get them hurt. Really he was just worried that she would get hurt and he wouldn't be able to do anything and she would put herself in danger by not playing the part they wanted to see her play, the way they wanted her to play it.

"Yes fine, thank you Haymitch." She said putting on the put out airs of someone who did not enjoy being mocked but looked him in the eyes to be sure he knew. Their faces stayed that of two hesitant allies bickering but the undertone for the two of them was there. She heard a scream and her eyes went back to the screen and she leaned in watching the bloodbath. The arena was a sort of mountainous area, looking a bit like the mountains near the Capitol except that the land around was desert. There were crops of rocks scattered around that could hold caves but other than that there was no food or water to be seen except in the cornucopia. She started to panic hating herself for getting distracted because she didn't see Micah or Emma and she would never forgive herself if she missed their deaths, if she wasn't there to mourn them. She watched intently until the bloodbath was over and they Creaser went over the start with the live feed next to him. Suddenly the Escort from District 6, Petrichor Ruthmur, sat next to her. She looked at him and smiled warmly. Petrichor had always been nice enough, she had talked to him a lot the last few weeks working on an alliance but it had come to nothing as it just didn't fit for either District and she had tried not to be bitter.

"I do not comprehend how you put up with that one Effie dearest. You don't even have a choice." The overly luxurious man bemoaned thinking he was being kind to her. She wanted to scream though. Even before they had been whatever she and Haymitch were, he was a good man to an extent. She had never made it a mystery that she cared for her insufferable mentor. She would complain from time to time but she always was very much close to him and it was no shame for her. She admired all the victors to an extent. She could nearly hear Haymitch growl under his breath when Petrichor got just a tad too close to be considered friendly acquaintance, but he covered it with a grunt. Effie breathed out hearing about the female District 12 tribute being alive as she was still paying more attention to the games than the man probably flirting with her.

"There are days I question it myself!" She joked shaking her head and making him slip into an ever more brooding slouch. "However, Haymitch has his wonderful points… when he chooses to." She informed evenly and turned to the Games seeing Micah running through the rocky area and hiding panicked as some girl was shot in front of him with an arrow. He stayed for a moment, hiding low in one of the rock piles and then looked for the other tribute before sneaking out and seeing a backpack on her and he took it and started to run again just trying to get away. She smiled and took a deep breath. Both her tributes were alive. Perhaps they would stay that way. Perhaps her children would win. She had to keep hoping. Now knowing they were safe she turned to Petrichor.

"Well you are much better than I am. I could put in a word if you like. See if we can't get you bumped up or something." He offered and she could feel Haymitch starting at her and was impressed Petrichor couldn't feel the glare he was getting. The man was lucky he wasn't dead.

Effie smiled warmly and shook her head. "I'll work my way up. Don't worry about me. But thank you." She said brightly. "Honestly stop worrying. He means well in the end." She assured looking to Haymitch who instantly looked back to the games "Right Dear?" She prompted him.

He shot her a look that said he was planning his revenge and she simply kept looking at him, prompting him to say something. "Aren't we supposed to be working? Flirt on your own time, Sweetheart." He growled grumpily. She huffed at him.

"Haymitch! Manners! Honestly, talking to someone is not flirting." She chastised like a nagging wife and he scoffed making her grit her teeth and take a deep breath. "I'm sorry Petrichor he's is like that. The man wouldn't know manners if they bit hi on the nose!" She sighed.

Petrichor shook his head and smiled at her. "Don't worry, they're all like that." He said and nodded to Haymitch. "I'll let the Beauty calm the Beast and we'll finish the later, perhaps over dinner?" He offered and the growl that escaped Haymitch's mouth was inhuman. She looked up surprised not having expected that at all. She cleared her throat and smiled sweetly.

"I'm sure we'll talk later." She said waving it off and watching as Petrichor left to go speak to someone else and she could finally breathe. She spent the rest of the games in large groups of females, usually of both District and Capitol so he would be less inclined to talk to her. She had to talk to Haymitch before she could make a decision. If it had been before, she would have said yes. Of course she would have, he was an attractive, charming, charismatic, intelligent man with quite a lot of money and status.

Finally it was late enough that they could disperse and go to the respective floors of the training center. Haymitch was brooding in the corner of the elevator in the ride up and Effie was watching him. She could see his mood and could see there was something he was upset over. She could bet what it was, and she could bet they would have to fight it out but if there was one thing she had learned over the last few days it was that having knockdown, drag out fights was hard when you were being watched and couldn't appear to be having them. "May I speak to you in the kitchen?" She twittered primly when the doors opened. He looked up at her with a glare and she returned it with a solid, unmoving face.

"Fine." He groused walking into the kitchen. She was furious with him. She couldn't even be pleased their tributes were alive because he insisted on being upset over something that would not be an issue! It was rude to publicly turn someone down, it was rude to publically ask someone out as well but she would not return his lack of manners to him when she was known for her impeccable social grace! That would be unnecessarily uncouth. She had wanted to ask Haymitch if she could turn him down or if it would be too obvious as it would be strange for a Capitol woman of her status and age to stay single when a man offered. She walked with stiff precision and he rambled behind her like a brooding teenager. She turned to him and in the kitchen and pointed a finger in his face. "This jealousy has to stop! You know as well as I do that I'm going to turn him down so why on earth even bother with it? Hum? I mean the first person you were jealous of a 14 year old boy and now you don't speak to me all day because of this!"

"Micah wasn't anywhere near the first man I've been jealous of with you and he won't be the last! You've been doing this for years, sweetheart!" He shot back.

"Oh doing what?" she asked angrily waiting for some insane accusation.

"FLIRTING! You flirt constantly! All the time! You touch their arms, and giggle in that infuriating way and strut around demanding attention and let me tell you, you get it. I spent years glaring people down and you just walk around oblivious! It's no wonder the kid was in love with you anyone would be the way you are! It's impossible." He ranted taking a gulp of his drink. "And between the games and that … whatever the hell he is…" He trailed off his arm waving a slashing motion in the air. "You been flirting with him all week and he makes a move and you just say you'll talk to him later?!"

Effie rolled her eyes with a huff. "Oh stop it! I was flirting with him to try and get him to convince his tributes to make an alliance! I was _trying_ to keep Micah and Emma alive! I couldn't turn him down in front of everyone it would have been rude!" She argued.

"Rude?! Really? It's rude to say no?" he shouted.

She grit her teeth, losing her composure. "YES! For a single woman of my age to turn down a highly suitable single man of the same age in public when he is a man of means and social status as he is! It would have been very rude! Now if I could tell him I was in a relationship then it would have been fine but as it stood I wanted to turn him down in privacy so he could save face! It's only polite!" She shouted to him listing how social manners worked to the least mannered man she knew.

"Well excuse me! You know just as well as I do why you can't say that! And I don't see why you couldn't just—" He started sarcastically.

"Because it's an insult! And if we want any hope of working with him in the future, which we do, I had to handle it gracefully!" Haymitch turned away from her clutching the counter he was resting on and looking at the wall. "The arena isn't the only game! We play one too, constantly. Perhaps the Mentors less so but the Escorts all are constantly play checks and balances! I know what I'm doing!" She fumed.

He rounded back to her "Well then why turn him down at all?!" He screamed to her.

"Because I happen to prefer the man I'm already with and have for a very long time!" She screamed back to him without thinking making him stop and look at her shocked.

"How long?" He asked gruffly after quite the pause.

"What?" She asked confused and panting from her state her wig tilted to the side and blonde hair falling out and he thought it might just have been the single sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Her all undone like that, and so angry with him.

"How long have you… 'Preferred' me?" He said quoting her and trying and failing to put on her accent over his twang.

"I don't know… probably three years… No before that I gave up on even trying three years ago… so probably four or five years." She said with a sigh pulling off her wig and putting it on the counter in frustration. "I tried dating other people to get my mind off you and they never measured up. Who knows why, but for some reason a grumpy old drunk seems to be the best possible man for me." She said refusing to look at him.

"Three years?" He repeated sounding amused and just this side of mocking. "That's like an eternity Capitol time. No wonder you were always so uptight." He said with a smirk and she looked up glaring at him for going from annoying to the point she wanted to murder him to attractive and sexy and seductive in such a short amount of time.

"Yes well… It's what happened! No changing it now. So can we stop fighting?" She fluttered at him.

He shrugged at her getting more serious and taking her hand. "I can't stop being jealous. I don't know a single man that could if he were in any sort of relationship with a beautiful woman." He said in a deep, gruff, voice that held a note of seriousness and made her insides melt. He was trying to make her understand, and doing so rather intently so she took in the information instead of letting herself revel in the compliment, though that hit her as well and she couldn't hold back a smile. "But as long as you turn them down, I can stop getting upset at them trying to get you for themselves." He agreed.

"Thank you. Besides, you're 10 times the man Petrichor Ruthmur will ever be no matter what his status is." She assured and looked up at him. "Now can we be done fighting for the night and go back to bickering so I can enjoy our tributes getting through day one?" She asked hopefully but his eyes went dark and it made her worry.

"That isn't something to celebrate Princess." He said darkly and she put a hand on his bicep looking up at him confused. He reached up and pushed a piece of her golden hair behind her ear as it had fallen from the bun she had it in.

Shaking her head she asked "Why not?" her voice a cacophony of anger, hurt, fear, and confusion.

Haymitch huffed trying to figure out how to say this. He knew she would hate what he had to say, but he had to say it because she needed to hear it. "Because, what they have to go through now, is so much worse than dying up front." He said darkly and he could see she didn't understand so he sighed and went on. "People don't win the games, they survive. There isn't one person who got through the games that actually likes their life. We all have demons we're running from, or worse, reveling in. I wouldn't wish this life on anyone and even now what those kids will go through even if they don't live…" He stopped and she nodded telling him she understood what he meant. He meant this would be bad for them, that there was no happy ending in this. "Besides, even if one did come home, could _you_ pick which one died so the other could live? There can't be two winners Princess, that's not how it works." He said softly.

"Well why not?" She huffed. "Why not just once, couldn't there be some way?" she tried to fight. He just shook his head sadly and reached out his hands to pull her into a hug. "I just want them to go home safe." She said sadly and he pulled back looking into her eyes and cupping her cheek rubbing a thumb over her cheek.

"I know. Me too." He said gently and leaned down to kiss her. Their lips had barely touched when there was a knock on the door. "Ignore it." He grunted to her pressing his lips against hers and trying to distract her from the door with it until a voice rang from the other side.

"Ms Trinket!" The disembodied voice of none other than Petrichor Ruthmur called.

Haymitch pulled back with a grunt. "As if I didn't hate him enough already." Haymitch groused.

"Behave." She chided sharply and hitting his chest lightly. She turned to walk out without her wig. "I should at least _tell_ him I'm turning him down. It would be rude to leave him wondering." She said and he was half tempted to let her answer the door with her beautiful golden hair flowing free and then he would waltz I with the wig letting the other man know he had staked his claim.

Ideas like that would get one or both of them hurt though and besides, he didn't want to share the knowledge of what the real Effie looked like with some pretentious Capitol snob. "Hey Princess." He said picking up the wig and twirling it on his finger as she turned to him. "Forgetting something?"

She reached up and felt her head and breathed out her relief before walking back with a smile. "Thank you." She said reaching for it but he pulled it out of reach.

"Want the wig, Pay the price." He said simply with a smug look at her frustration.

"And what is the price?" She asked in a huff. Instead of speaking he leaned down and laid a fiery kiss on her lips and she instantly responded in kind her hands tangling in his hair as she did. He pulled back. Another knock shocked her back and he glared at the door but gave her to wig which she promptly put on with expert finesse.

"Get rid of him?" He grumped as more of a demand but he'd tried for request.

She laughed and shook her head. "I'll see what I can do." As she walked out of the room and into the other checking her make up in a mirror as she went and answered the door. "Oh Petrichor I'm so sorry! I was in the kitchen." She said smiling at him sweetly. "I would offer to let you in but…" she started to make an excuse when he started in.

"That would be lovely! You left so quickly I didn't get a chance to speak to you again." He said right when she was about to make her excuse for why they couldn't talk so she could return to her previously scheduled Haymitch, obviously Petrichor was having none of that. He was terribly rude and while it suited Haymitch who did it out of spite and generally his sarcastic demeanor, which fit him, this man was doing it because he was a conceited, self-absorbed, man. To the Capitol that was probably attractive but to Effie, a woman whom thrived on manners and order and happened to love a man that hated himself, it made her question what she had ever even pretended to see in him.

"Well I had some plans to make and there were just too many things that needed doing up here. We decided we would handle them here. Private planning and all, you know how it is." She said trying to excuse it. "I'm sorry I missed you on the way out." She added knowing it was polite, though she really was having trouble showing her manners to a man who obviously had none of his own.

"It's quite alright. I simply wanted to ask you about our date. It'll have to be after the games of course. I know this wonderful restaurant. I could pick you up at 8 the day after they end. Dress would be formal of course. But you always look so well I'm sure you'll be fine." He said already making plans to a date she had not even agreed to.

"Actually, I don't think that would be a good idea. I'm sorry I would just rather not." She stated simply. Normally she would either do it or give a good explanation, but honestly with the way he was acting, like it was impossible she would turn him down, she had no interest in actually going on that date with him. Besides that, her best excuse she couldn't even use. "I really am sorry you are a wonderful man." She said trying to usher him out.

"You're turning me down?" He asked, shock and confusion setting on his face.

She huffed at him. "Yes I am." She said simply.

"Why on earth would you ever think to do that?" He said baffled.

His lack of manners and intense self-interest was starting to get on her nerves. It was very common in the Capitol; everyone was like this, though not to this extent. They were all self-involved and cared nothing for others as long as they themselves were happy and had the best. Effie didn't fit that, not anymore and she never really had. "I am not interested in you. There are plenty of people you would have a better chance with—" She tried to appease him.

"Is this because we didn't arrange an alliance? Honestly I—" He interrupted and she got sick of it.

"No, it is not! It is because I have little interest in you. You have many admirable qualities but I am happy as I am and really do not have any desire to go out with you. Your conversation is lacking in anything not concerning you and I haven't got the time! Now if you excuse me Haymitch and I were in the middle of a discussion and I have to get back to it. Please leave." She said firmly.

He looked flustered and angry but she opened the door again and motioned for him to depart through it and he did. She shut the door behind him with a slight slam and took a deep shaking breath trying to calm herself and unable to believe she had just done that.

"That was fucking sexy." She gasped and spun hearing a gruff accented voice behind her. She smiled brightly at him, her hand on her chest measuring her heart rate in her fright. She breathed more normally and laughed.

"It was terrible! I can't believe I did that! It was horrible of me. He was just so infuriating and—" She started.

"And you shut him down. It was hot." He said walking over to her and kissing her lovingly. "What do you say we get some dinner and go watch in my room? We'll take turns sleeping and watching and wake each other up if something happens." He offered.

She wrapped her arms around his neck smiling up at him. "That sounds good." She agreed with a nod. "I'll go get this gunk off my face and meet you in there." She added stepping back and shooing him before walking into her room.

The entire night Effie saw that Haymitch had been right about what was going to happen to their tributes. Emma was being ordered by all the careers and played with like a pack of hyenas playing with their dinner while Micah was hiding in the trees. There had been a cut to him in the programing when someone had walked too close to his hiding spot and Effie had not breathed the entire time until it had passed and started raining. They showed some underground springs hidden in the caves that collected water. That was hope for Micah who was now hiding in a cave. Neither got much sleep that night but they were there for each other which she needed and so did he. Bright and early she woke from the thirty minute nap she had managed by him running a tickling finger up her cheek and then tickling her sides. She had enjoyed the laughter and the kissing and the closeness that came with the release of tension, if only for a moment.

She eventually had to go put on her Capitol appearance and then drag him from his room and into the viewing center. Once they were in the room however Effie could feel the tension from Petrichor and a few of the others who were his close friends. However Beetee and Chaff walked right over with a warm smile to both Haymitch and Effie.

"Good morning Ms. Trinket, Haymitch." Beetee greeted with a nod to her. Haymitch looked at both confused but nodded back.

"Hi ya." He greeted and Chaff nodded to the refreshment table. Haymitch looked to Effie and she nodded.

"I'll meet you in the viewing room." She said quietly and he nodded his agreement walking over to the table with food while Beetee turned to Effie.

"You caused quite a stir Ms Trinket." He said with a small smirk.

She blushed glad her make up would tone it down a little but it was not nearly enough to hide it entirely as per Haymitch's request. "Yes, well… He quite deserved it! He was very rude and should not have assumed. If he's asked instead of insisting I might have been much kinder." She said in a huff trying to hide it. "And you can call me Effie Dear. Please." She added warmly.

Beetee chuckled and nodded. "Alright Effie. Well no matter why you did it, I like it. You're a lot better to the mentors than the rest, I heard you defend Haymitch yesterday. I just wanted to thank you. After all these years, I'm sure you'll never get one from him." He said and looked at her like he saw through everything. He was warm and friendly but she was still a tad worried at the penetrating look. She didn't like people knowing everything about her.

"Well unfortunately I am rather fond of Haymitch. He may be a drunk but I've worked with him long enough to say he's _my_ drunk. He grows on you." She said trying not to appear too out of character but enjoying that someone liked her. It was nice to have a lack of tension in a look from a District person. It was usually such a clear split in this room it was nice to be seen and not hated.

"Of course." He said warmly. "Well I suppose I hope to see you around." And he walked away.

"Absolutely! You as well!" She chirped behind him before turning to some friends from the Capitol to keep up appearances. She put in the perfunctory amount of time and then walked into one of the private viewing rooms with Haymitch.

She sighed, sitting down next to him and relaxing into the couch. They were close enough that their sides touched as she slipped off her heels and curled her feet to the side. Normally she would stay fully dressed in every sense and completely in control but today she was tired. This was going to be a long day of watching her children be tortured. She watched as the Careers mocked Emma to her face and was nearly in tears. She could see Haymitch's hand's balled tightly into fists and she laid her hand on his.

"Not long now." He said trying to keep the growl form his voice but she heard it. She could imagine the countdown in his head. Counting the minutes and seconds to when their first tribute would die. Both were surprised when out of the blue the rocks that Micah had been hiding in exploded. Effie felt her heart constrict, frozen in that moment in time before it broke waiting for the canon when suddenly Micah burst on screen running away from what looked like landmines exploding. The careers looked to the explosions and Emma screamed recognizing Micah. Emma turned with a spear in her hand to try and protect Micah from the pack.

"What are you going to do little girl? Kill us?" The District 2 girl mocked her.

"Nah, she's too in love with me for that." Silver said with a smirk going towards Emma who jabbed out the spear to keep him back and it plunged right into his chest like butter. Effie screamed in terror watching Emma kill, the look on Emma's face said she was just as horrified and shocked with herself as Effie was with the situation. He looked down at his chest in shock then to the girl. "You little bitch." He cursed as he died.

"SILVER!" Screamed the boy from 4, who had been just as obviously taken with Silver as Emma had. He flung himself at the small girl cutting her throat and watching her bleed out. Effie felt the first tears start to fall and Haymitch couldn't look at her. This was it. This was how it all ended and it was like watching a beautiful disaster. He couldn't look away from the carnage as the children Effie had loved, the children he had started to love, died so painfully.

Effie felt sick as she watched Micah. He was running and panting too fast. "Emma! NO EMMA!" He screamed for her as he ran at the boy from 4. Micah hit him right in the chest tackling him and punching his face over and over until suddenly his eyes went wide and he was still. The camera zoomed out to reveal a knife from his back put there by the Silver's district mate from 1. The canon rang two shots and just like that Effie's hope for her children to come home was shattered.

Her hands were clenched, her eyes were unseeing as they were clouded over with images of Emma and Micah smiling and laughing together and pushing each other around. She remembered letting Emma try on her wigs and dresses and how pretty the little girl had looked walking around in them. How Micah had looked at both of them with such adoration. She saw how they had talked and played and laughed and run after each other. She saw their life, their potential and their sweetness. Every single thing she saw was suddenly covered in blood. She looked down at her hands and saw their blood on her hands. She was the one who had put them there, she had killed them. It was all her fault she had ended the lives of two innocent, perfect, sweet children.

It was all too much. She hadn't been breathing and suddenly a tear hit her cheek and she let out a shuttering sob. Haymitch turned down the screen as low as it would go and turned to her, a look of pain on his face. He felt her heartbreak clearly. Effie had adored those two children, acted like they were her own. She had pampered them and spoiled them and loved them so much and as he looked at her all broken and his own missing heart, surfaced from the ruins, and broke even more. He moved closer to her and pulled her to his chest rocking her and whispering in her ear. Nothing he was saying made any sense he just wanted her to know he was there for her.

"I killed them." She whimpered to him as she sobbed. "I did this. I pulled their names out! If it wasn't for me—" She said and he spoke up to stop that.

"If it wasn't for you it would have been someone else. Someone with a lot less heart, and a much smaller brain." He whispered firmly to her. They couldn't be overheard but he could console her. "What you did was give those kids a chance to be happy. You believed in them and loved them and gave them something they would have never imagined otherwise, a chance to see luxury beyond their wildest dreams. You didn't do this Eff, the Capitol did." He tried.

"I am the Capitol." She sobbed into his shoulder not even caring about her make up. Micah and Emma's dead eyes and broken bodies were all she could see now as Creaser talked about their unfortunate deaths in such an inhumanly disconnected way. She felt like she was going to be sick.

He shook his head and pulled her so she was looking at him cupping her cheeks in his hands and whipping her tears, smearing her make up as he did it and seeing more of a mix of the two sides of her than he ever had. "No you're not. You might have been at one time, but not anymore. You're not a Capitol Robot. All those Escorts out there that don't give a shit about their tributes, those are the Capitol. You are Effie Trinket. The woman with the biggest heart I've ever seen and certainly the most beautiful mind in this Godforsaken place. Don't you forget that! You made those kids lives better the only way you could. That's amazing." He consoled.

She sniffed and looked up at him and just leaned up and kissed him lovingly and he returned it, holding her close and trying to chase away her pain. Silently the door opened and there was Petrichor standing in the doorway. He stared in shock at the kissing couple and then closed the door without a sound and neither was any the wiser of their unexpected visitor but he now knew something that would help him in the future if he kept the card right. Besides that he knew why she turned him down now.

"Can we go back to the room? They won't question it. Our part is over." She asked sounding exhausted.

He nodded to her looking at her compassionately. "Sure thing Princess. You go up and I'll meet you there in ten minutes." He said rubbing her back as she cried a bit more.

She nodded biting her lip and composing herself pulling out a mirror and touching up her make up as well as she could before walking to the door. Just before she opened it she turned around and said. "Haymitch?"

"Yes Princess?" He asked looking up at her.

"Make it five?" She said in a pleading tone and he gave a gentle smile and nodded to her.

"Five it is." He agreed and she walked out and he looked back to the TV with a sigh, this would be a long night for the two of them. It would be hard and painful and he knew it. He walked out to the main room getting a strong drink and knocking it back before walking out not feeling the eyes following his every move. It wasn't just the Capitol watching anymore.


End file.
